Runaway Baby
by ZJeM
Summary: A few years into the future, Leo's become one of the most sought-after hotties in both Camp Half-Blood and Camp Jupiter, which he happily gets advantage of. When Reyna gets an odd request from Jason and agrees to help him, how will that affect the lives of both son of Hepheastus and daughter of Bellona?
1. Reunion

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _PJO _nor_ HoO_, they are the beautiful children of Rick Riordan.

* * *

**Suggested listening:** Bruno Mars - _Runaway Baby_ (the official anthem of this fic :'))

* * *

_**Runaway Baby**_

* * *

**CHAPTER 1**

* * *

The sun was shining brightly, which was both pleasant and unbearably annoying to her. Yes, it was nice to be able to go out in summer clothes and stick her face to be caressed by warm rays. Unfortunately for Reyna, wearing an armor of imperial gold and having half the legion of people in similar clothing stick around their praetor for almost an hour wasn't going to be a rapture to be remembered by neither of them.

To put it simply, it was a _torture_.

"They are late" she heard Octavian hiss on her right and had to fight the urge to shove her spear at the augur's crafty face. Him not plotting anything against their allies since the war with Gaea didn't mean he completely let go of his mistrust and showing it on every possible occasion. He was still the same annoying pain in the ass.

She tried not to make herself bothered by the Apollo's legacy and his teddy bears, so she focused on looking for any signs of the _Argo II_'s arrival in the clear blue sky. How much time had it passed since she had last seen Jason, Piper and Leo? Certainly a lot more than it had between the previous visits. She hadn't greeted them in New Rome for over a year by then and hadn't gone to Camp Half-Blood for almost two. "_What's changed during that time?_" she wondered.

One of the freshmen gasped loudly and that snapped her out of her thoughts. They _always_ reacted like that when they first saw Leo's magnificent hybrid of a ship and hundreds of automatons, be it Buford The Table or anything as small as a door lock. And there it was, sailing through the dry Californian air of an exceptionally hot summer. She hoped the legion had as much endurance left as to last during the official greeting part, at least.

The ship made its way towards the waiting in no time and soon they were observing as the Greek trireme landed gracefully on parched, Roman soil. It looked as grandly as ever, Celestial Bronze masts glistening in the bright light and its tremendous hull casting a shadow over the inheritors of Romulus and Remus. The only thing missing - the fearsome head of the dragon guard - was probably taking its sweet time to relax in Bunker 9, now reborn in its full form, thanks to its owner (although he didn't really like that term and insisted that they called Festus his comrade).

Speaking of whom, Leo Valdez had just pulled out a rope ladder and motioned for his friends to go first. Of course, he wouldn't have been himself if he hadn't grinned like a madman, waved to the Romans, no matter their age or ranking, and sent a few meaningful glances to half of the female soldiers, which was quickly proven effective with a few muffled giggles. Well, at least he was doing fine and hadn't fired at the city _that_ time.

During the few moments she was taking Leo's usual ridiculousness in consideration, Jason and Piper made it to the ground and started walking in her direction, smiling widely and holding each other's hand. She gulped and tried to ignore the feeble dull pain of rejection that was still there, no matter how hard she'd been trying to wave it off for the past six years since he'd returned to Camp Jupiter with his new girlfriend.

"Legion!" she shouted in a commanding voice and every soldier that still hadn't been doing that moved to stand on attention. She took a few steps forward to meet the guests, crimson red cloak flapping behind her back and her beloved greyhound automatons trotting watchfully by her tights. "Welcome to New Rome" she smiled and shook her former colleague and his girlfriend's hands.

"Long time no see, Reyna" Jason grinned, looking around. "Am I wrong or do I see quite a lot of new faces?" he asked, his palm going back to squeeze Piper's. The daughter of Aphrodite looked at what Jason was staring at, her smile a tiny little bit less confident than his. Reyna knew what that was about. No matter how many times she'd been to Long Island, she'd never felt as if she'd belonged there as much as in Camp Jupiter. The girl must have felt the same about her home.

"Yes, our arrays have indeed increased in numbers" Reyna answered, taking the couples' figures in her sharp sight.

Jason was then no longer a cute yet strong, reliable and undeniably attractive teen. He still had all those traits but his 22-year-old man experience was visible in a way his eyes looked with fondness at his old home and how his tense jaw line reflected the seriousness that the hero gained during all the hard times he'd been through. The things he'd seen, fears he'd faced and battles he'd fought - all had left their trace in his face and posture. His hair was still a blond mess and the scar on his upper lip hadn't changed, but Jason would never be the same person she'd known before Hera had taken him away.

To be frank, hadn't they all changed as those years had gone by?

"Reyna..." Piper's cautious voice made the praetor look away from the boy (the _man_) she once thought would have stayed beside her, like he was then staying by the Cherokee girl's side. "Thank you for letting us come" the daughter of Aphrodite said, forcing a smile (and somehow, her mother's powers didn't seem to be helping her look believable).

Their contacts had always stayed a professional distance, all because of Reyna's envy and Piper's anxiety of her boyfriend leaving her for his old friend. It had never been that Reyna had had any hopes of getting Jason for herself, it had just been kind of awkward to interact with each other, knowing how complex their emotions and how complicated their relationships had been. Truth be told, since the first time she'd seen them together, Reyna had known that Jason and Piper were that one and only special someone for one another. It hurt, somewhere deep inside, but she just had to accept it. It hadn't been Piper's fault, she had nothing to hold a grudge against the Greek for.

"It's a pleasure" Reyna answered, trying for her smile to encourage Piper to let go of her nervousness. That was the time to ascertain Piper for good. _He's all yours_, the silent message read. The Greek's eyebrows furrowed slightly but as she held Reyna's stare, she seemed to had understood. Her smile widened and her eyes softened. _Thank you_, she seemed to be saying.

Piper was then taller than she'd been all that time earlier, but she still wasn't as tall as Jason, she was even shorter than Reyna. She kept her hair restrained with the familiar mass of braids, but, as in her boyfriend's case, that were the only things that hadn't changed. She looked more composed and confident, aware of what she was capable of doing and like she wouldn't hesitate to use her powers to protect her loved ones. Reyna could use a few soldiers like her...

"Heyy, Miss Praetor!" Leo exclaimed, finally finishing the check-up of his beloved ship and joining the small group.

He'd also changed, both physically and mentally, but his carnal metamorphosis was far more spectacular than those of his friends. He wasn't the shortest kid anymore, he'd grown to be Reyna's height. The tank top he was wearing revealed that all the time spent in the workshop had finally likened his arms to the strong, weary ones of his godly siblings. The disarray of his black curls and the nonchalant way he was wearing his tool belt were no different than earlier, but his more manly features and an even more mischievous glint in his eyes told her that he was no longer the same innoxious mechanics geek.

And as to his psyche... It had been as far back as the war that he'd proven he'd stopped being a frightened child a long while earlier. He'd grown up to be a man responsible for his actions and one you could count on. The only things that hadn't matured were his love for corny jokes and his sharp tongue but those, Reyna thought, were the traits Valdez just couldn't exist without.

"Leo" she acknowledged, sticking out a hand for him to shake, which he did with a grin she was afraid would crack his face in two. "The _Argo_'s looking as good as ever" she praised. Leo chuckled and fastened his penetrating dark brown orbs on her own in a way that would have made her uncomfortable if she hadn't been a tough daughter of Bellona she was.

"Well thank you, I'm trying" his smile decreased to a mysterious smirk as he held her gaze. Just what was on his mind, she wondered? A cough drier than the atmosphere of a desert interrupted their odd staring session and the four turned to the source of the sound.

"Praetor, don't you think you're going to have more time for... _Bonding_ later?" Octavian asked in a way that made him seem as if he were nauseous. "We've waited long enough, I think the legion has the right to be called off for now" he added in a slippery tone of a snake.

Leo snorted. "Yeah, good to see you too, Octavian" he said loud enough for the soldiers to hear. A few girls giggled, whispering excitedly between themselves. The tittering grew even louder when Leo winked at the girls, pouting his lips a bit and pushing his (not so scrawny, anymore) chest out. Reyna fought off the urge to roll her eyes and turned to Jason and Piper.

"Shall we go then?" she asked, ignoring Octavian's quiet huffs of annoyance and Leo's flirting at a distance. She was surrounded by weirdoes everyday, the situation wasn't anything new to her.

"Yeah..." Jason mumbled in a way that made her wonder if he'd heard her question at all. He exchanged a worried look with Piper, neither of them taking their eyes off their best friend. What was wrong? Reyna looked at Leo again. He didn't seem as if anything bad had happened to him. He was even more open with the others (mostly girls) than she remembered him be, but could that be anyhow a bad thing? As annoying as it could get, a boost of self-confidence was generally a good occurrence, right?

She shoved the thoughts away for the time being and started guiding her guests to the villa the Romans had prepared for them. When they reached the legion, she shouted a few orders to the centurions who were responsible for taking care of their cohorts' dissolution and sent condemnatory glances to the girls who were enhanced with Leo earlier and, as their new idol had come closer, were on the verge of giggling themselves to death or passing out before that could happen. Gods, they should have had a little of dignity, they were supposed to be daughters of Rome!

"_This_ way" she growled, having to personally pull Leo away from his newly found group of fangirls. She would have to make sure somebody taught those girls how to defend their Roman pride later.

"So..." Piper started with a weak smile when the four was making its way through the sunlit town and Leo finally stopped rubbing the pain of his forearm formerly caught in Reyna's steely grip "How are Annabeth, Percy, Hazel and Frank doing?" she asked, trying to conceal the worry in her voice. Reyna took a quick glance at Jason. She was 100% sure the wrinkle on his forehead wasn't there just a few minutes earlier.

"They are doing well" the praetor started slowly, her curiosity of the Greeks' strange behavior (except Leo, who was making a tiny gods-knew-what mechanism while humming some cheerful tune) rising with every moment of their walk. "Annabeth and Percy are having their classes right now but they are going to return by dinner" she announced, finding Jason and Piper's mood improving a little. Good, she didn't want her guests to be upset during their stay. She hadn't dragged Athena Parthenos all the way from Greece to Camp Half-Blood to fail when it came to following diplomacy with the Rome's allies.

"What about Hazel and Frank?" Jason asked, greeting a few old acquaintances in the meantime. Reyna smirked confidentially. He was probably the most popular former praetor in New Rome, was he not? It didn't surprise her at all, was there any way not to like that guy? Well, there was - one had to hadn't had an occasion to meet him in person, she guessed.

"Frank has stayed on duty while I am here with you guys. Hazel decided to keep him company" Reyna answered, pushing the door to the Greeks' villa - a large yet cozy ancient Roman style _domus_ - open. They walked in and the daughter of Bellona guided them further, to the bright living room with sizable windows facing south.

"So... Basically, you grounded them?" Piper blurted out with a kind smile, not letting go of Jason's hand for a second. Reyna returned the smile. It was so much easier when they finally weren't so deserved towards each other. Leo snorted quietly, reminding the other three of his presence.

"Please" he said, leaning on the wall in a pose that yelled _I'm such hot stuff!_ (not that she shared that opinion) and sending them a few naughty glances, his eyes, however, lingering a bit longer at her personage (or at least so it seemed from her point of view). Was that bothering her? Why should it have? He was a free man and could use his sight for whatever he saw noteworthy. "They are probably just making out against a wall in some comfy corner" he chuckled in a villainous manner which sounded way more convincing then in the past as his voice was slightly lower. A choked, sharp breath made the four's heads jerk to the - still open - door.

"We are _what_?!" a petite girl with heaps of cinnamon curls similar to Leo's and golden eyes, currently widened in pure shock, walked into the room, followed by a well-muscled, _enormous_ Asian man who would have seemed terrifying if it hadn't been for a bright red blush covering his face and ears. Frank and Hazel approached the Greeks and gave each of them a warm welcoming hug.

"Whoa, man, you should learn to be more tender!" Leo said, rubbing his chest in mock pain when they all finally pulled away. A shadow of uncertainty lurked in behind Frank's kind smile. "Now that I'm here, Hazel could be looking for something more _sensual_" Leo grinned, winking at the said girl. Frank's frown deepened but was quickly waved off by his girlfriend's amused giggle which she was covering with her hand (old habits never died).

"I'm sorry, Leo, but this just shows how much more gentle Frank is than you" she replied, linking her and her boyfriend's hands and snuggling into his side. Frank smirked with a look of victory in his eyes. Him and Hazel, although significantly different than their past selves, still had (after over six years of a steady relationship!) that cute timidity of a fresh couple.

Frank was one of the strongest Roman soldiers Reyna'd ever known and then, with self-confidence gained through years of praetorship, he was even more of a highlight of the legion. His muscular body and rough carriage, however, hadn't disposed of the courteous look in his coal-black eyes that made all the Romans absolutely adore their leader. If they needed advice or just simply wanted to talk, Frank was their first choice of a person. He was a superstar in his own Zhang way.

His girlfriend, comparably, had matured a lot, both in body and mind. A lot of boys in Camp Jupiter liked to fasten their eyes on her appetizing curves and stare at how she moved her hips in a way that hadn't been seen since her original times. Unfortunately for them, even no old-style beau could change her mind and make her leave Frank, the couple was inseparable. She was smart and turned out to be an excellent strategist, as well as a talented witch. There was nobody that would have wanted to seek a quarrel with Hazel Levesque.

Leo chuckled, snapping Reyna out of her reflection. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Beauty and the Beast" he teased light-heartedly. "Just know that I'm always here, drop-dead gorgeous" he added, pointing at his chest with his thumb. Frank approached him and put his arm around the other's shoulders.

"Yeah, but, you know what..? One wrong move and you'll be flying back home in a flash, Valdez" he smirked, poking that same spot on Leo's top with his thick finger. The Latino's grimace was quickly replaced by an even wider grin.

"Ay, ay, captain!" he exclaimed, saluting in a ridiculously clumsy way. It was when everybody was laughing (like Leo's madman chortle) or simply smiling (Reyna's kindly curved lips) at the scene when it occurred to Reyna that they were missing a detail and, truth be told, it was unusual for her to had forgotten about _that_ matter.

"Frank" she said with a slight frown "Who is there at the Principia right now?" she asked, concerned about the camp's management while they were having a touchy reunion - after all, there were important and more important things in the life of the praetor of Camp Jupiter. Frank's expression fell and he seemed a bit paler than the moment earlier. Even though they'd worked together for so long and were the same rank, she still felt that he thought of her as of his superior.

"Octavian said he would take care of it" he mumbled, averting his gaze to the floor. Reyna's eyes widened slightly. And he'd left everything in the slippery hands of the augur? He must have been really impatient to see his friends.

"Well then" she said calmly, motioning for her dogs to get going "I guess I'll go check if he haven't already sent a war declaration to Camp Half-Blood" although she didn't want to show her unwillingness to do the task, a quiet sigh escaped her lips at the end of the sentence. Frank's eyes flung themselves at her again.

"I'm sorry" he muttered, looking no different than a sad little panda bear or something equally cute and vulnerable in that moment. Reyna returned the look with a soft smile.

"It's ok, I'll manage" she assured him. "You take care of our guests' well-being, praetor Zhang" she added in a stronger voice and he straightened, almost as if he wanted to salute like Leo did earlier.

"I sure will, praetor Reyna" he replied, a smile returning to his features. It was when she was almost at the door that a noiseless whisper reached her ears and she halted in tension.

"Hey man..." Leo turned to Jason "What's Reyna's last name, anyway?" he asked, pure curiosity resounding in his voice. The praetor's eyes narrowed and she would have broken her diplomatic attitude to growl at the Latino if it hadn't been for Jason's reflex.

"She doesn't like us to use it" he answered quickly, locking his gaze with Reyna's, whose frown smoothed out. _Thank you_, she nodded, leaving the villa.

She was almost half the way to the Principia when she heard somebody call her name. She turned around to see Jason running in her direction.

"Reyna..!" he panted out when he finally stopped in front of her. Years of peace and not following Camp Jupiter's rigor must have had an effect on his shape. "Can we talk..?" he asked uncertainly. "It won't take long" he assured her hurriedly at the sight of her eyebrows furrowing a little.

"Sure, what's the matter?" she asked, resuming her walk, although slowing down to give him an opportunity to have a conversation with her without Octavian panting onto their napes. Jason walked by her side, almost like in the past, but he still hadn't said anything. She was piercing his blue orbs with her own, pitch-black, her curiosity growing stronger with every moment, but he didn't return the gaze. What he had to say must have not been pleasant.

"I... I want to ask you a favor" he finally let out in an odd rush. A favor? What could she even do that he himself couldn't? Jason lifted his head and finally met her eyes, his own veiled with the same worry she'd seen earlier.

"Just ask" she said quickly, trying not to lose herself in his icy-blue stare and get to the root of that conversation already. She was glad that the hot weather made most of the Romans hide inside so nobody was watching the scene. She wouldn't want her respectability to shake in its placement at the sight of her infatuated little girl's gentleness.

"I'd like you to... Could you please have an eye on Leo..?" when he finally said the unspeakable, the question completely threw her off her balance. She stopped suddenly, leaving him a few steps in front of her before he finally realized she wasn't next to himself anymore.

"_Me_? And why should he even be observed?" she questioned, completely astonished. Aurum and Argentum kept steady, Jason wasn't lying or joking. Her old friend approached her, a grim look on his face, his forehead uptight and his jaw clenched like she'd last seen him during the war. Her expression fell. The situation had to be a lot more serious than she had first thought, if it bothered him that much.

"He... Well..." he sighed, resigned. "That's the problem. I don't even know how he is, actually..." he murmured, embarrassed. "I'm supposed to be his best friend and I don't even know how he feels" he smirked bitterly, visibly sorely upset, as opposed to the cheerful source of his bad mood.

"And why do you think I would be able to help..?" she asked softly, wanting nothing more than to comfort him, but that wasn't her job. It was Piper's. Jason had his eyes fastened on her orbs, pleading washing over his face and tone when he spoke.

"I don't know. I just thought... Maybe if he doesn't want to tell us, he'd tell somebody more... Distant..?" he sighed and run a hand through his choppy blond wisps. "I mean, he keeps saying he's fine but... He doesn't feel the same, you know? Something's changed only... I'm not sure if it's a good thing or-" he broke off suddenly, his eyes widening at the sight of something behind her back. She turned around to see Octavian hastening in their direction.

"Praetor" the augur exclaimed in a screechy call, coming to a stop a few meters from them, as if he'd feared he could have contracted some nasty disease if he'd come closer "I need you to tend to an urgent matter at the Principia" he hissed, somehow keeping the high-up tone. Reyna fixed her official unruffled facade and took a quick glance at Jason.

"I'll do it" _For you_, that she didn't add. A new glint of hope showed itself in his eyes. Jason's shoulders relaxed, even if only a bit, and a quiet sigh of relief escaped him. She smiled. That state of mind suited him a lot better.

"Thank you" he said quickly before her and Octavian rushed to get back to their work, leaving him in the middle of the labyrinth of quiet pavements of New Rome. She was alert and focused, not only on what Octavian was babbling next to her, but also on Jason's recent words.

There was something wrong about his friend, but he didn't quite know what that was. Leo himself acted like nothing had happened but... Wasn't there really anything odd about him earlier? She would have to pay more attention to the Latino and see for herself. After all, if it was for Jason, she'd still do anything.

* * *

**ZJeM, 18.04-12.08.14**

* * *

**From author:**

*drum rolls* A NEW STORY OF MINE! Well, not _that_ new when you look at when I started... O-O

This was supposed to be a looong oneshot, but, seeing just how much of a monster it's been getting and for how super long it's gonna be written to have everything I want it to, I decided to chop it into a multichapter. Also, I was supposed to post it on the Free Week, but there was "_Alejate_" and then all the jazz with my hospital stay... I simply forgot.

I can't promise there will be regular updates, even though I have some of the later story written already. Ya know, being a lazy, busy asshole I am... It's not possible. Also, chapters may very in length, I don't check if they're the same.

So, enough of the babble. How did you like it so far? Personally, I'm always squealing in my mind, writing this openly sexy Leo. c:

Oh, and, as you've probably already noticed, this takes place some time in the future and I have to say, HoO _has happened_… You know, HoH with its Caleo and all… Just wait and see. :D

THANKS FOR READING!


	2. Disturbing The Calm

**Disclaimer:** I don't own _PJO _nor_ HoO_, they are the beautiful children of Rick Riordan.

* * *

**CHAPTER 2**

* * *

She hadn't known keeping her word would have been so easy and so _impossible_ at the same time.

It was simple because her object of observation seemed to magically appear wherever she went and was near even when she didn't move a step from the Principia or her villa. There was just no day that she wouldn't come across him.

What was difficult about her task were Leo's female... _acquaintances_. Moreover, they were all her Roman soldiers. Their behavior, however, made her doubt her subordinates' parentage time and time again.

First time she'd met him and one of _them_ together was as soon as after the welcoming dinner in honor of Camp Jupiter's Greek guests. She was walking out of the dining pavilion, her chin high and her fearsome dog automatons pacing next to her legs, when she heard a muffled giggle just around the corner. Of course, that wasn't enough of a reason to catch her attention for longer than a few seconds, so she almost ignored that and walked away, when suddenly a following sound stopped her in her tracks.

"Your supervisors wouldn't like what I'm doing..." a familiar, mischievous voice murmured, dripping with indecent insinuations that should have had no place in _public_ life of anybody. "But you know, baby..?" Another giggle, that time sounding a little deeper, almost concealing a sigh, resounded in the air. "This has never stopped me before..." the tone of the low almost-whisper the line was said in made her feel an unfamiliar thrill in the small of her back, something like tickling the softest, most sensitive flesh with clouds of hot steam. And Reyna _hated_ her body's reactions which appearance she didn't understand. That show had to be stopped, right_ then_.

"Leo, what-" she swallowed back a curse that almost made its way up her throat "What are you doing?" she spat out in a dangerously quiet voice, coming straight into a scene violently disgracing Rome's esteemed name. Her narrowed eyes met completely chickened-out, blue orbs and blond waves of unnaturally messy hair belonging to Tracy of 3rd Cohort, who was being pinned to a wall by Valdez' strong arms on the both sides of _her soldier_'s head. If anybody still had doubts, that _wasn't_ a common sight among Camp Jupiter troops.

The said guy only chuckled, a sharp sound of arrogant self-satisfaction that annoyed her almost for her to reach her breaking point. Instead of losing her cool and dealing with him in a way that wasn't matching for a Roman praetor, however, she kept her composure and froze Tracy with her stare. "We... Me..." the girl stuttered, her face in the color of parchment just mere seconds earlier switching into crimson red faster than traffic lights.

"We were tightening the bond between our camps" Leo interrupted, the mocking smirk on his lips seeming to actually want to try and make Reyna run out of her patience which resources were already dangerously weakened. The praetor sighed a quick, shallow breath and turned her attention to the Greek. Aurum and Argentum started circling around her, sensing their owner's annoyance.

"If you really do want it so badly, find a better place" she said slowly but in a form of an order, not breaking their eye contact despite having trouble maintaining her calm. Leo's grin widened when he made a strange movement with his upper body and arms that was probably supposed to look like an old-style bow.

"Yes, ma'am!" he exclaimed rakishly before Reyna suppressed the urge to roll her eyes, turned around in one harsh motion and resumed the walk to her villa.

Pacing forward, she took her time to think the situation she had just taken part in through. Just what Jason found unusual about Leo, she wondered? To her, he seemed the same he had been all those times earlier when she had met him: brisk, loud and flirty, with love of bad jokes and overly dramatic behavior... True, his contacts with girls she had witnessed had been slightly different than the one she'd just seen but wasn't Leo allowed to try out new ways of doing things? Maybe his best friend was just overreacting..?

Something stung in her heart but she quickly waved that sensation off, focusing on the mere concept of what it'd brought. Reyna herself knew all too well how it felt to grow further apart from the person one found the closest, she'd experienced that feeling not only with him, with Hylla too... Maybe Jason was just afraid of not being able to understand Leo anymore and losing him, in the end? If so, then there was nothing really wrong with the son of Hephaestus himself.

However, her theory still needed to be checked and proven right or been found complete nonsense. Whether she liked that or not, she'd have kept Leo under her close watch, and he'd better didn't try to play any tricks like the one with Tracy. Be it Jason's friend or not, she wouldn't tolerate anything that Camp Jupiter's bylaw said had to be punished.

**X X X**

A few days had gone by without any interruptions. The Greeks were having their sweet free time at Camp Jupiter, spending time with their friends or just wandering alone through the streets of New Rome, tending to their relationships and maintaining the calm of their minds. No drama, arguments or conflicts she had to solve.

Perfect.

Reyna leant back on her swivel chair, yawning and stretching her weary muscles bit by bit, from the tips of her toes to the tenseness in her nape. Aurum and Argentum were quietly keeping watch at the both sides of her desk and no unwanted sound (like shooting at her home or fighting giants, which had both happened in the past) was disturbing her peace. The stock of the _done_ papers on her right was already significantly larger than the _to do _one on her left and she was just considering going to the baths when she was finished, as it appeared it would be one of the rare evenings when she wouldn't have to work. Just several minutes and she'd have been able to get rid of her toga (clearly not the most comfortable thing to wear there was), her bowl of jelly beans was still almost full and she hadn't seen Octavian the whole afternoon...

In such moments, she really thought her job was the best one could get.

She wanted to return to her task to have it done soon and let herself get the relax she deserved, when a strange sound caught her attention, something like a stock of heavy objects falling onto the ground. She frowned, standing up swiftly, her warrior instincts getting the better of her. She was sure there was nobody else beside her in the Principia at the time... "Let's go" she told her dogs shortly and the three walked out of the praetor's office to check just what was going on.

They paced noiselessly through one of the marble corridors, their threefold alert senses looking out for any signs of intruders. The setting sun painted the white walls in orange and red and everything seemed completely normal until Argentum suddenly lifted his head fiercely, locating the probable source of the sound from earlier. Confusion painted over Reyna's face when she heard that too.

_Panting_?

Instinctively, she slowly took out the Imperial Gold dagger she never left behind, the blade glistening in the last rays of the star falling asleep, the praetor listening out for further data as she and her dogs slowly approached their target, her hand clutching the weapon hard. Step by step, deft motions in complete silence, she sneaked closer to the disturbing unknown that had to be put under thorough examination until she decided if it was to be taken care of on spot or could be left untouched... _for then_... The odd sounds from earlier didn't stop and kept adding new tones to the strange melody that made Reyna's frown deepen with every second of her fragile operation.

When she heard a desperate muffled moan and an all-too-known, throaty chortle as it's follower, something told her that she finally knew what the hell had been messing up with the precious calm of her camp. What or _who_, to be exact... She took a deep breath and hoped she would still have at least as much patience as to not slash the throat of that guy open the second she took his personage in her sight...

She reached the ajar door to one of the many storerooms in the Principia and walked in without a second thought. The darkness of the room was being lightened only by the thin streak of sun she'd left behind and her dogs' glowing ruby automaton eyes.

"Ah!" Reyna felt a spark of slowly yet steadily growing anger run through her spine when the particularly loud whine made its way out of the disgusting mixture of whimpers, short, quick breaths, hands pawing parts of the bodies one shouldn't even _think_ about in such places and mouths... - she tried to swallow but the dryness on her tongue made that impossible - mouths _doing things_ to one another...

"Do you want me to use it..?" her breath hitched when she heard him mutter the words, her head jerking into the direction the strangely choked, _intriguing_ (she hated to have to acknowledge that) sound came from. Once again she was surprised to find the unfamiliar thrill tease the nerves of her back, but this time, she also found it more difficult to take in a deep, decent breath out of a sudden. Why that was, she still had no idea, but she knew one thing for sure: _he_ had to be stopped before she completely lost understanding of her own body and it's weird reactions. "Everybody keeps saying how dexterous my hands are..." the mumble similar to the one from earlier had snapped her out of the weird trance its sister had caused her mind to sail toward.

She walked into an alley of shelves for all types of unused things, like old documents or broken equipment waiting for the day somebody took them to the children of Vulcan, having left her automatons by the door, to keep watch or just out of habit, she didn't care to decide. _Him and her_ still hadn't noticed her presence (what a disgrace to their reputation as _soldiers_!), even though she didn't particularly try to conceal her presence interrupting their... Ugh.

She could hear pulse pounding in her ears (why was that?) when she was coming to the darkest corner (of course) the sounds she wanted to put an irreversible end to came from. Just a few more steps... The Imperial Gold dagger glistened in contact with a lost golden gleam...

"What did I tell you, _Leo_?" Reyna snarled viciously, like a predator that has found it's prey. Judging from the look on Samantha's face, the soldier of 4th Cohort didn't find the current situation that much off that description. Her emerald orbs had immediately locked themselves with the stern look in Reyna's pitch-black eyes, the girl seeming to be pleading for mercy. Well, if her shirt had still been on and her hands had been somewhere else other than inside Leo Valdez' pants, maybe the praetor would have considered easing up on the punishment that was sure as Pluto going to come... But wait, Reyna's eyes narrowed slightly, wasn't that Tracy the first time..?

Her eyes snapped to the Greek when her sight caught a movement of him turning to face her. It was much easier to focus on him, at least, because his frame covered petite Roman girl's one almost whole, trapping her between the wall and his... (Reyna had to blink a few times to clear her mind, that was apparently clouding from anger...) Well, _his body_...

Her breath caught strangely in her throat when she fully took his personage in her eyes... His jeans hung low on his sharp hip bones and his chest was hugged tightly by the black undershirt he was wearing, revealing the curves of the strong, dusky arm muscles, oddly highlighted by the shadows ruling over the place. But it wasn't _just that_ that caused her to react so queerly.

His eyebrows were drawn together and nervousness he wasn't able to conceal that time shone in his orbs, his features asking for her not to be too harsh on her judgment and maybe she would have even showed them mercy but what was happening with his mouth... She didn't anyhow get why a single condom sticking from his teeth drove her body's bizarre reactions over the edge (mouth dry, breath quickened, palms sweating) and the fear that came from the lack of understanding caused her to snap.

"I was asking, what did I tell you, Leo?!" she growled, her fingers clutching the dagger to the point of the pressure causing pain. Good, maybe it would be enough to cool the damn fever down... Samantha's palms quickly left their previous destination and Leo pulled his pants up to their original placement. The girl reached desperately for her shirt crumpled on the floor, her hands shaking, and tried to cover her chest with the piece of cloth, not being able to look her praetor in the eye. Ha, as if that was supposed to help them! Not when they'd already crossed the Rubicon...

All of that Reyna saw out the corner of her eye as not only she still had her eyes fastened on the rubber, her lids squeezed so tightly from the irrepressible anger that she was afraid they would close completely. "Oh" Leo muttered, taking the irritant black square away from her sight. Well, that was certainly an extenuating circumstance. However calming that was, that didn't mean his sorry butt was suddenly safe and sound, did it?

The one to try to defend the two was Leo, how gentlemanly of him. "I... Look, I'm sorry" he began, forcing a nervous smile but not breaking their eye contact despite her intimidating stare. "I remember what you told me but... I didn't think there'd be anyone here at this hour, we just-"

"For your information, saying _a better place_, I meant _not a public place_" Reyna snarled, interrupting his defensive speech and making Samantha jump up in surprise, terror or a mix of them both. Once again, the praetor froze the girl with her stare. If she did nothing to make her own situation any better, it would have been expected of her not to disturb Leo's desperate attempts. The soldier literally hid behind her would-be (at least when it came to that time and place) lover, sticking only her eyes out from above his shoulder.

"Understood, Miss Praetor" it seemed Leo was becoming to feel safer now than a few moments earlier, as the smile on his face widened and his stiff form relaxed. Not that she was paying special attention to his body whatsoever, it was only natural for a well-behaved Roman like herself not to take her eyes off the whole of the opponent.

"And you think that is going to be enough to avoid punishment..?" she pronounced dangerously quiet, lifting her chin a bit out of habit and exposing the dagger in silent threat. Leo's eyes left hers for a moment to examine the weapon, then came back. He gulped loudly.

"No, of course not" he muttered uncertainly, however still standing her glare. "You're too hardcore to just let us go like that, aren't you? The best leader Camp Jupiter could get" he smiled weakly, while her eyes narrowed more with every word. Was he trying to buy his way out with _compliments_?!

"Thank you. This is not going to affect my judgment, of course" Reyna replied coolly. What was she going to do with the two..? Samantha wasn't even seen at all at the moment, hiding behind Leo and disgracing her Roman honor. The praetor clicked her tongue quietly in annoyance. Why was that the camp had been completely fine just a few days ago, but it had taken only one Leo Valdez and his charm to destroy any balance she'd been doing so well to maintain..?

"Reyna..." she heard a soft whisper that, she had to admit with surprise, belonged to Leo. She sighed deeply and returned her attention to him. Her eyebrows travelled up despite the efforts to keep a straight face at the sight of the seriousness of the look in his dark-chocolate brown eyes. "Please spare her, I mean..." he tried calmly, and the tone of his voice was (she didn't want to admit it, but couldn't deny the ugly truth), strangely, loosening up the tense muscles of her back... No, she mentally slapped herself, don't let any sweet talk get to you! "Sam is going to take part in the preparations for the official meeting between representatives of both camps, please let her go. Please punish me, Jason and Piper are going to be fine on their own" Leo finished, determination shining in his orbs.

She felt bizarre warmth fill her chest, a sensation she hadn't felt for... Something told her it was seven years, but why exactly that many..? She didn't understand that feeling, didn't get where it was coming from. It was mere seconds later that her stomach clenched in anxiousness, she tried to swallow, but found nothing in her dry mouth. Reyna cleared her throat and slowly hid her dagger, deciding she was going to finish tending to that matter, if it was because she had finally found a solution or... to get away from those weird things she was feeling..? No difference.

"Fine, I'll let Samantha go" she announced smoothly, making Leo jump up a little and his face light up in surprise - so he hadn't actually been expecting her to agree? She was curious of his reaction to the following words, then. "You too, Leo. I'm not going to punish only one of you when the delinquency was the job of two" she added, watching his eyes widen and hearing a deep exhale coming from behind his back. "Just don't you dare do that ever again, then there will surely be consequences and I'm not known for forgetfulness" she growled one last time, treating the Latino with the hardest stare she could manage and making him nod hurriedly a few times. She turned to the side and was preparing for a leave when his response stopped her in her tracks.

"I'd jump up and hug you but that's definitely throwing me into a torture chamber, right?" Leo called after her, having regained some of the usual cheerfulness of his tone. Unruly he truly was, but she didn't have it in herself to call him _bad_.

Reyna smirked and replied, not turning around anymore "Yes, that's not the best idea" And she walked back to where Aurum and Argentum had been keeping watch, aiming back for her office and the paperwork that was yet to be done, hopefully, with no more interruptions.

Had she known just how Leo would show his bad boy side the next time, she would have never kept her eyes off him.

* * *

**ZJeM, 18.04-14.08.14**

* * *

**From author:**

Ba-dum! A cliffhanger! ;)

Leo's outfit from the time with Samantha was copied from a scene from "Teen Wolf". Because Tyler Posey's just too damn hot to resist.

And the condom thing... I dunno, this sight in my head was such a weirdly amazing turn on, but I don't know if it was for you..? Anyways...

Seven years because that would have been before Jason was taken away... In case you were wondering.

THANKS FOR READING!


End file.
